From the sounds of things, it will still be Ben Roethlisberger’s show this fall.
New Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada met with the media during the team’s minicamp Tuesday at Heinz Field and, on multiple occasions, he indicated that Roethlisberger will still very much be the leader of the offense.
“Football is eleven men doing their job and the quarterback is the focal point,” Canada said. “We’re going to do what Ben wants to do and how Ben wants to do it.”
That’s not to say that there will not be sizable change with Canada now in charge. The play calling verbiage will be different for Roethlisberger for the first time since the mid-2000’s. Canada, however, believes it will not be an overwhelming challenge for the Steelers’ 18th year quarterback.
“There are changes with terminology, how we’re calling things, which has been an adjustment for Ben,” Canada said. “He’s been great in really learning it and doing well with it. He’s adapted easily, just like we all knew that he would.
“It starts with the quarterback. What does he do well, what does he like, what does he see, what is good to his eye in the passing game? And then you build off of that… His voice, his vision, what he sees will be what we do.”
Roethlisberger’s style has changed over the years. Once a more pocket-scrambling, hit-taking gunslinger, he has shifted to a shotgun-based approach that includes quick releases of the football as part of an up-tempo scheme.
“I’m a big believer in tempo and the changing of the tempo,” Canada said. “If you always go fast, people get used to that. If you just walk out of the huddle, people get used to that.
“Defenses coaches are really, really smart… We’re certainly going to continue to use tempo and use the things that Ben is very, very good at to help our offense be the most productive it can possibly be.”
There is also the question of if Canada’s scheme can be effectively run, in all aspects, by Roethlisberger, who had good numbers in 2020 (33 touchdowns, ten interceptions), but lacks the mobility and lateral quickness which Canada took advantage of in his college offenses.
That however, does not seem to worry Canada whatsoever.
“Ben can do everything really well,” he said. “I don’t ave any concern about Ben doing anything that we want to do.”